A 21st century woman’s guide to jump start a car

Ever got to your car after a super long day of shopping, turn the key to start the engine and bam dead as a door knob… You notice the battery light is burning. Hmm…the battery must be dead.

You realize chances are good that you need to jumpstart your battery if you don’t want a sleepover in the parking lot or miss out on your significant other’s famous flame grilled steaks.

You stand there frozen, wondering WTF to do… Well no need to feel ashamed, it happens to the best of us. You just need some guidance. That’s what we’re here for.

Follow these easy steps to CPR (Jumpstart) your car and to get that engine roaring like a lion again.

9 Easy steps to breathe life into your car battery

1. Call a friend with a ‘live’ car.
2. Park the ‘live’ car with its bonnet facing yours at a distance of about 1.5 meters.
3. Switch off the engine of the ‘live’ car and make sure the ‘dead’ car’s is also switched off.
4. Pop both bonnets and attach the clamps in the following order, taking special care to not let the clamps touch at any point in the process:

Positive (usually red but check for a ‘+’ sign) to the positive terminal of the ‘dead’ battery.
Then, connect the other end of the positive cable to the positive terminal of the ‘live’ battery.
Next, attach the negative (usually black but check for a ‘-‘ sign) to the negative terminal of the ‘live’ battery.
Then, connect the remaining negative clamp to an unpainted, metal surface of the engine – not near the battery.

5. Get your friend to jump into his car and start his car’s engine, revving gently at first to boost the power across to ‘revive’ your battery.
6. After a minute or two of idling, hop into your car and give it a go. If it doesn’t start, check all the connections and tighten or clean if necessary before trying it again. If it still doesn’t start, then you’re probably at the mercy of a more serious problem.
7. If it does start – AWESOME. Give your friend a high five and disconnect the cables in the reverse order:

Remove the negative clamp from the unpainted surface first.
Then, take the negative clamp off the ‘live’ battery.
Next, the positive clamp off the ‘live’ battery.
Lastly, disconnect the positive cable from your previously ‘dead’ battery.

8. You’ll need to drive your car around for a good 20 – 30 minutes to charge your battery properly.
9. When you eventually get home, remember to check that your headlights, radio and interior lights are all off! 🙂

Please remember that we aren’t qualified mechanics and cannot be held accountable for any mishaps that occur as a direct or indirect result of following our guidelines above. While we enjoy providing helpful information, we urge you to check your car manual for any special instructions they provide on jump starting your specific make or model.

Hint-If something goes wrong, make sure that you have Car Insurance. Get your Name Your Price Quote today! Remember that included in any dotsure.co.za comprehensive

policy is our Super Shortcut benefits package which gives you access to roadside emergency benefits. Bottom line, when you need us, we are there 24/7.

dotsure.co.za wishes you pleasant driving expeditions with no need for CPR.